Maybe it’s because of work policies, maybe it’s because you’re trying to sneak past that ***** firewall at your local library, or maybe you just want to impress your friends with your mad proxying skills (let’s be real here).

Regardless of the reason, configuring proxy settings in Linux can seem like a daunting task. Chill out, don’t worry, bro! I am here to guide you through this process and make it as painless as possible.

First what exactly a proxy server is. In simple terms, a proxy server acts as an intermediary between your computer and the internet. It receives requests from your browser or other applications, forwards them to the appropriate website, and then sends back the response. This can be useful in situations where you need to access certain websites that are blocked by your network administrator (looking at you, Netflix), or if you want to hide your IP address for privacy reasons.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, Let’s get started with how to configure proxy settings on Linux. There are a few different ways to do this depending on what version of Linux you’re using and whether you prefer to use a graphical interface or command line. For the purposes of this guide, I will be demonstrating how to set up a proxy server in Ubuntu 18.04 using the GUI (because who wants to mess around with terminal commands when there are pretty pictures involved?).

Step 1: Open System Settings
To get started, open your system settings by clicking on the gear icon in the top right corner of your screen and selecting “Settings” from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + S to bring up the search bar, type “settings”, and hit enter.

Step 2: Click on Network & Internet
Once you’re in settings, click on “Network & Internet”. This will open a new window with various options for configuring your network connections.

Step 3: Select Wi-Fi or Ethernet (depending on which connection you want to use) and then click on the gear icon next to it.

Step 4: Click on “Edit”
This will bring up a new window with various options for configuring your network settings. Scroll down until you see “Proxy”.

Step 5: Check the box that says “Use a proxy server” and enter your proxy information in the appropriate fields (if you don’t know what this is, ask your IT department or check with your internet service provider).

Step 6: Click on “Save” to apply your changes.

Your Linux machine should now be configured to use a proxy server for all of its network traffic. If you want to test that everything is working properly, try accessing a website that was previously blocked or check your IP address using an online tool like whatismyip.com (just make sure the proxy settings are still enabled).

By making light of the situation and using everyday language instead of technical jargon, hopefully I was able to make this process less intimidating for you.